Romanian F-16 Shoots Down Third Russian Drone in Three Days

News from BUCHAREST — A Romanian F-16 fighter pilot shot down a Russian drone over the Black Sea. According to Reuters, President Nicusor Dan condemned these actions by Russia as "unacceptable and intolerable." Romania shares a border approximately 650 km long with Ukraine, and since the outbreak of the war more than four years ago, Russian drones have repeatedly entered its airspace as Moscow intensified attacks on Ukrainian ports along the Danube River. Before July 25, Romania had never shot down these aircraft, but has now destroyed three in just three consecutive days. President Dan affirmed that Russia violated Romanian airspace, which is also NATO and European Union airspace. NATO said it is continuing to investigate the latest incursion. The Romanian Ministry of Defense said the downed drone landed safely at sea about 12 km northeast of the town of Sulina. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, since the war began, there have been 33 cases of Russian drones illegally entering the country's airspace. Prosecutors have recovered fragments of the drone shot down on July 25 and are continuing to search for the remains of the other two. On the same day, the Romanian Chief of General Staff said Russia is intensifying attacks on the area around the port of Odesa ahead of the harvest, putting additional pressure on key trade and energy routes in the Black Sea.